Statistical averages

Overall

Fully evolved

Battle properties

Generation I

Offensive

Defensive

Power

Types

Power

Types

2×

½×

½×

2×

0×

None

0×

None

Generation II-onward

Offensive

Defensive

Power

Types

Power

Types

2×

½×

½×

2×

0×

0×

None

Characteristics

When used defensively, the Poison-type is considered one of the best in the game. This is because of its ability to block or cause status ailments and resist common moves. Its obvious weakness, Earthquake, can be mitigated by the variety of dual-typed Grass and Bug/Poison Pokémon, as well as the Zubat family's Template:Type2 and the Gastly and Koffing families' Levitate. Additionally, the Poison-type resists itself, Bug, Fighting, and Grass, giving it resistances to common moves such as Aura Sphere, Megahorn, and Close Combat. Moreover, Poison-types tend to hold potent status and support moves, such as Haze, Toxic Spikes, and Toxic. Immune to Poison and Toxic Spikes themselves, they have an opportunity to absorb status effects as well. Koga's words of "confusion, sleep, poison" describe the Poison-type very well.

Offensively, Poison is not common. These types of moves are only suggested for inflicting the Poison condition, STAB or using support moves. It is only super-effective against Grass, of which many are also Poison-types, making them neutral to Poison attacks. Ice, Fire and Flying are much more useful in countering the Grass-type. Also, Poison moves are not very effective on Poison, Rock, Ghost, Ground, and completely ineffective against Steel. Hence, resistances to Poison are far more common than weaknesses to it. Poison moves are better off used for longer battles and not for attempting to defeat an opponent with one blow.

When used in contests, Poison-type moves typically become Smart moves, but can also be of the other four Contest types, excluding Cute.

Pokémon

In total, there are 50 Pokémon within the Poison-type; 22 are fully evolved.

Poison is one of three types that can never be doubly super effective against any Pokémon because it is only super effective against one type, the Template:Type2. It shares this trait with the Template:Type2 which is only effective against itself, and the Template:Type2, which isn't super effective against anything.

However, back in the first generation, where Poison was also super effective against Template:Type2, Poison was doubly super effective against the Bug/Grass combination of Paras and Parasect.

As of yet, no pure Poison-type Pokémon have been introduced in an even-numbered generation.

Gulpin and Seviper are the only pure Poison-type Pokémon not colored blue or purple.

In Generation I Poison was super effective against the Template:Type2, while the Bug-type was super effective against Poison. This trait has never been shared with any other type match-up, and is likewise no longer true.

Seviper and Qwilfish are currently the only Poison-type Pokémon without evolutionary relatives.